Raleigh: Hot beverage spills, child suffers burn injury on Delhi-Frankfurt flight

NEW DELHI: A 10-year-old child flying from Delhi to Frankfurt last week sustained burn injuries when hot beverage spilled on her on a Vistara flight. While the child’s family has accused the airline of handling the issue “poorly” and that “the crew did not apologise,”

Vistara says the airline and the crew followed all norms.
The child’s mother Rachna Gupta Tweeted from her handle @GuptaRachna76 : “Vistara air hostess cause(d) second degree burn to 10 year old on flight to Frankfurt. An unfortunate accident poorly handled. (Air) hostess, captain or crew members didn’t apologise. After basic first aid on flight, my daughter and I were left in an ambulance to fend for ourselves (pay for ambulance / navigate the German medical emergency services) in an unfamiliar environment.”

A Vistara spokesperson said: “An unfortunate incident occurred onboard UK25 flying from Delhi to Frankfurt on August 11, 2023, where a child sustained injuries due to spillage of hot beverage on the body. Our cabin crew had served hot chocolate to the child on the request of her parents, however, the hot water spilled on her since the child was playful during the service.”
“In line with the standard operating procedures, our crew immediately provided first-aid as warranted for the spill, and sought support from a paramedic onboard, who volunteered to assist until the flight landed in Frankfurt. We also ensured medical care immediately upon landing by arranging an ambulance and the child, along with her mother, was sent to the hospital. Our teams have been in touch with the customer ever since. We have already facilitated their early return to India, arranged for ground transportation in Frankfurt, met them at the airport and extended extensive on-ground support,” the airline spokesperson said.
However, the mother said on X (erstwhile Twitter): “Our luggage had to be taken out by friend of a friend who made three trips to the airport and spent 4-5 hours… Vistara or Amex the booking agent in India refuse to help saying they have no intimation of incident. Vistara refuses to help us come back to India. Vistara hasn’t called even once to check on the child or me stuck in a foreign land with foreign language. Thank God I can afford to pay, wonder what would happen to people without resources… Got a call from Vistara with a standard scripted apology saying they need 24-48 hours to respond. While we remain stranded with a daughter in pain in a foreign land. The past… hours have been harrowing for our child. After the tweet we received a customary call saying the airline would revert in 24 to 48 hours.”
The airline spokesperson added: “We have conveyed to the customer that all medical expenses arising from this incident will be reimbursed by us. We continue to discuss with the customer and provide any further assistance as required. We are also reviewing and refining our processes, wherever required, to ensure such situations are avoided in the future. As always, safety and comfort of our customers is of utmost importance to us.”